


The Eiffel Affair

by livehead16



Category: NSYNC
Genre: F/M, Het, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:09:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23826625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livehead16/pseuds/livehead16
Summary: It's an autumn evening in the City of Light, and Chris has forever on his mind.
Relationships: Chris Kirkpatrick/Original Female Character





	The Eiffel Affair

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written and published in 2001, and boyyyyy, is it schmoopy.

Mira pulled the door to the old-fashioned elevator shut behind her and headed for the suite. As she approached the massive double doors, she smiled. They’d been here for three days now, yet she still couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty and grandeur of the hotel. It was French elegance at its finest, a building that had stood for well over a hundred years. Mira had stayed in many beautiful places since she’d met Chris, but this was a definite highlight.

She struggled with the weight of the door, trying to swing it open and pull her shopping bags through it at the same time. Suddenly an unseen pair of hands pulled the door back and held it for her. “Thank you,” she breathed, as Joey’s head appeared around the edge.

“No problem. Did a little shopping, I see.”

“ _Mais naturellement_. It’s Paris,” she replied, grinning at him.

“Here, let me help you,” Joey said, taking two of the bags from her. They crossed into the enormous common area of the suite, where Justin was playing video games while Lance waited for Joey to return to their card game.

“Hi guys,” she said, as she led Joey to her bedroom. They deposited her bags and returned to the larger room. This was another reason she loved this hotel so much. It wasn’t often anymore that they were all able to share a living area like this. Between the accommodations and the fact that they had five whole days here, this stop on the tour was pure bliss. However, there was an important piece missing at the moment.

“Guys, where’s Chris?”

Lance and Joey looked at each other and then back at her. “He left right after you did,” Lance said. “He said he was going for a walk.”

“By himself?” Mira asked, alarmed.

“No, no. Tiny went with him,” Lance answered.

“Oh, OK.” She watched Joey settle back into his chair and pick up his cards. After debating it for a second, she asked, “Do any of you know what’s up with Chris? He’s been acting really strange since we got here.”

“No idea,” Joey shrugged. “Maybe he’s just tired. We all get that way toward the end of a tour sometimes.”

“Yeah,” Lance agreed. “And we haven’t done Europe in forever, so it’s even worse. I know I’m worn out.”

“You’re probably right,” Mira said. “But he was fine in Madrid, and then as soon as we got here, he, like, clammed up.” She glanced over at Justin, but he was engrossed in his game. “Oh well,” she sighed, “I’m sure he’ll snap out of it sooner or later. I’m gonna go take a shower. We’re going to some fancy restaurant for dinner tonight. At least, we were last I heard.” She headed into her room, closing the door gently behind her.

“Oh yeah,” Lance crowed, as he triumphed over Joey in their card game.

“Man, come on… That’s the third time in a row,” Joey whined. “You looked at my cards while I was gone, didn’t you?”

“Whatever, Joe,” Lance laughed.

Justin interrupted them, “Y’all know she’s gonna kick our asses when she finds out we knew all along.”

“Well, you weren’t exactly a big help just now,” Lance grumbled.

“That’s 'cause I don’t like lying,” Justin replied.

“It’s not lying,” Joey said. “It’s just… not spoiling the surprise.”

“Yeah, I know. But I’m bad at it. I was just better off keeping my mouth shut.”

“I wonder why Chris is acting so weird, though,” Lance mused.

“I think it’s just nerves, man,” said Joey.

“Yeah, but he’s being all backwards,” Lance continued. “He should be, like, extra nice to her or something, not quit talking to her.”

“Naw, I think Joey’s right. I think he’s nervous. Maybe we should make him nervous more often if it shuts him up,” Justin cracked.

“Well, I just hope he gets this over with tonight before she asks us any more questions,” Lance replied. As he finished speaking, the door opened and Chris walked in.

“Speak of the devil,” Joey said.

Chris surveyed the expressions on their faces. “What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Joey said. “We just had to fend off the Spanish Inquisition from your girlfriend, that’s all.”

Chris advanced rapidly toward Joey and Lance. “What’d she say? Do you think she knows?”

“If you don’t lower your voice, she’ll know in a minute,” Lance admonished him.

“No, she doesn’t know,” Justin spoke up. “She just thinks her boyfriend’s lost his mind.”

“What do you mean?” Chris asked, indignantly. The other men started laughing.

“Dude, you’ve been acting all freaked out since we got here. Did you really think she wasn’t going to notice?” Joey asked.

“I have not,” Chris protested.

“Chris, you’ve hardly even been talking to her,” Lance pointed out. “And then last night you screwed up ‘Pop.’ It’s pretty obvious your head’s somewhere else right now.”

“Well, you know… This is nerve-wracking. And, besides, I don’t see any of you taking this kind of leap. So get off my case.”

“Nobody’s on your case, Chris,” Justin said as he shut off the television and stood up. “They were just telling you what they’ve seen. Believe me, I got nothing but respect for you right now. I don’t blame you for being nervous.”

Chris looked at Lance and Joey, who had been nodding silently the whole time Justin was talking. “Nervous? Me? I am not nervous.” They responded with three pairs of raised eyebrows, as he collapsed onto a couch and conceded, “I’m not nervous. I’m scared to death.”

His three friends broke into laughter at his admission. The bedroom door opened and Mira stepped into the room. Lance let out a long, low whistle, as Justin said, “Dayum.” Her dress was dark green and simple, but it clung to her curves with just the right amount of tenacity.

“Give it a rest, you guys,” she said, blushing. “You’ve seen me in this dress before.”

Justin put on his huckster voice and replied, “Yeah, but there’s just something extra-specially special about the way you look in it tonight.” To complete the effect, he flashed her one of his huge, look-how-cute-I-am grins. Meanwhile, Lance immediately picked up on Justin’s comment and began singing “Just the Way You Look Tonight.” About ten seconds later, Joey and Justin were singing as well.

Mira rolled her eyes heavenward. “Oh, good Lord. You boys are such cheeseballs.” The song dissolved into laughter, and she turned her attention to Chris, who hadn’t taken his eyes off her the whole time. “So there you are,” she said to him.

“Yeah, here I am,” Chris said, snapping out of his trance. “I had some shopping to do.”

Mira waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, she asked, “So… are we still on for dinner tonight?”

A look of pure panic washed over Chris’s face, and he sat up straight. “Yeah! Yeah, of course we are. Why wouldn’t we be?”

Mira held up her hands in defense. “OK, settle down. You just hadn’t mentioned it lately.” Behind her back, three men desperately tried to stifle their laughter. Chris just glared at them. Unaware of any of this, Mira asked, “Didn’t you say the reservation was at seven? Shouldn’t you get dressed?”

Chris glanced at his watch and frowned. “I didn’t realize how late it was.” He rose and walked into the bedroom, passing by Mira without another word. She turned and looked at the guys as if to say, “See what I mean?” but all three merely shrugged at her. Once she was safely behind the closed door, however, they let out their long-held chuckles.

“Oh man,” Joey said, shaking his head.

“That was smooth,” Lance added.

Justin summed it up, “He is such a dork.”

Half an hour later, Chris and Mira reemerged. Chris was now sporting an unusually subdued black suit, the buttons of which he was fidgeting with relentlessly. Joey and Lance were still playing cards, although it had now turned into a drinking game. JC and Bobbie had returned from their trip out into the countryside, and they were curled up on a couch watching a movie with Justin. Everyone’s attention turned immediately to Mira and Chris, however.

“All right, guys, we’re headed out,” Chris said, a bit too cheerfully. A strangely loud chorus of responses came back to him.

“You guys still coming out with us tonight?” JC asked.

“Yeah, probably,” Chris replied. “We’ll see.”

“You’re actually going out?” Mira teased JC.

“Very funny,” he responded with a little shake of his head. “You better be there.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

“OK,” Chris said impatiently. “We have to go now.” Again there rose a chorus of goodbyes from the group, and Lance and Joey even stood up. Mira looked sideways at them, but before she could say anything, Chris grasped her hand and pulled her into the hallway.

As he hustled her toward the elevator, she asked, “What was that all about?”

“What?” Chris said, feigning ignorance.

“Why were they looking at us like it’s prom night and they’re the parents? I was expecting someone to break out a camera any second.”

“Oh, they’re just a bunch of geeks. Come on, the car should be out back.”

“Are we going without one of the guys?”

“Yeah, I think it’ll be fine. A lot of celebrities eat at this restaurant. They won’t let anyone bother us.”

“OK,” Mira replied doubtfully. When they reached the first floor, they slipped down a side hallway and out a back door, successfully avoiding most of the fans. The few that were waiting at the back were rewarded with quick autographs from Chris. Two of them called out to Mira, and she smiled and waved, letting them take her picture. When she first met Chris, they had snuck around more. But now, after almost two years, most of the fans knew her and accepted her. She still found it strange when they asked for her autograph, though.

They slid into the back of the waiting limo, and the driver pulled away. Not much was said on the short ride to the restaurant. Mira was honestly beginning to worry about Chris. She couldn’t figure out what was going on inside his head. Usually they talked about absolutely everything. That openness was one of the best things about their relationship and had been since the very beginning.

It had been a rainy night in Manhattan when she and her roommates stopped in at a Village dive they frequented. She’d spotted him sitting at the darkest corner of the bar, all alone and looking miserable. She watched him surreptitiously, debating whether to approach him. It occurred to her that he probably didn’t expect to be recognized in a place like this. But finally she decided she had to try to cheer him up at least a little.

As she neared his stool, he looked up at her with a very wary expression on his face. Undaunted, she forged ahead. “You know,” she said by way of a greeting, “Turning thirty’s not really _that_ bad.”

Chris was caught off guard by this remark, and the wary look in his eye was replaced by a twinkle. “Wow,” he said, smiling in spite of himself. “That’s about the craziest pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”

“It wasn’t a pick-up line,” she protested. “I just… Well, I turned thirty earlier this year, and I survived. You will, too.”

“Thanks. I guess. I mean, that was the last thing on my mind tonight, but now that you’ve brought it up…” For half a second, she was mortified, but there was a mischievous gleam in his dark brown eyes that let her off the hook.

“Whatever,” she said, laughing. “At least I made you smile. You looked so serious over here all alone.”

“Yeah,” he replied quietly, looking back down at his beer.

She suddenly felt like she was intruding, so she made a move to leave him alone. “OK. Well, I just wanted to say hello. If you’d rather brood over your beer alone, I’ll let you be.”

He lifted his head, and the corners of his mouth were twitching upward again. “No, no, pull up a stool if you want. I could use some company. I’m Chris,” he said, extending his hand.

“I’m Mira,” she replied, giving his hand a firm shake.

“Nice to meet you, Mira,” he answered, as she climbed up on the stool beside him. He ordered them a round of beers, and they fell deep into conversation. They were still talking when the fluorescent lights came on and the bartender kicked them out. Mira’s roommates were long gone by then, so Chris insisted on letting her share his cab. Before she got out at her building, he asked for her phone number. She gave it to him, not expecting to ever hear from him again. But two days later he called and asked her to dinner, and they had pretty much been together ever since. Now, two years later and an ocean away, she needed to figure out how to get him to open up to her again.

The limo glided to a stop in front of an elegant façade covered in lights. They walked into the restaurant arm in arm, and there was not a fan or a camera to be seen. This helped her relax a little. It was always nice to be able to eat in peace. The dining area was stunning, contemporary in its design yet understated. The maitre’d showed them to a table in the back, and they settled in.

“Wow,” Mira said. “This place sure looks expensive.”

Chris looked at her for a second and then leaned over close and whispered, “Psst… I have a little bit of money, so it should be okay.”

Mira laughed and swatted him away from her. “Yes, I know. But you don’t usually like to spend it on things like this.”

“Well, tonight, this is where I want to be,” he said seriously, taking her hand in his beneath the table.

“Wherever you are is where I want to be,” Mira replied, hoping her seriousness matched his.

The arrival of the waiter interrupted their reverie, and they listened to him recite the specials. From that point on, Chris seemed looser and more like himself. Of course, the bottle of very expensive wine that they shared no doubt aided this. But something else changed as well, although Mira had no idea what it was. Honestly, she didn’t care, as long as he was talking to her again. They enjoyed a leisurely multi-course meal, and everything was delicious. By the time the waiter brought the dessert tray, she was begging for mercy.

“So where are we meeting the others?” she asked, as she tried to recover from all the food.

“Oh, some club. The driver knows where. But we’re going somewhere else first.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.”

“Ooh, a surprise. Cool.” She leaned over and kissed him quickly, savoring the softness of his lips and the way he tasted of wine. When she pulled away from him, the intensity in his eyes almost knocked her over. He had such passion… passion for living, for her, for his music and his clothes. His waters ran so much deeper than most people could ever guess. She felt so lucky to have him in her life.

He quickly settled the bill and they returned to the car. The driver expertly navigated the narrow streets, pulling up near the plaza that surrounded the Eiffel Tower.

“What are we doing here?” she asked.

“You’ll see.”

“Chris, there’s too many people here. We shouldn’t be here without one of the guards.”

“It’ll be okay. Just trust me.”

The driver inched forward until he was as close as to the gate as he could get. Chris climbed out and offered his hand to Mira. “Come on,” he urged. “I promise this will be fine.” She took his hand and followed him out onto the sidewalk. They walked briskly across the plaza to the base of the tower, until they reached a steel door.

Mira was relieved that no one seemed to be paying any attention to them at all. But she was still curious about where they were headed. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?”

“We’re going up to the observation deck, oh impatient one.”

“But, Chris, it’s after nine. The deck’s closed by now.”

“Not tonight, it’s not.”

Just then, the steel door swung open, and an older man appeared. He smiled at the young couple and led the way to a service elevator. Unlocking the door, he put them inside and started its ascent, waving at them as it rose.

“He doesn’t speak English,” Chris commented.

“I take it you made his acquaintance previously.”

“Maybe,” he said with a smirk.

“Chris Kirkpatrick, you are just full of surprises.”

He just smiled and kissed her forehead. When the elevator stopped, they stepped out onto the large platform, which went all the way around the tower. During the day, it was normally crowded with tourists, but right now it was utterly deserted. She let go of Chris’s hand and ran to the railing. The view was astonishing. The lights of Paris seemed to go on forever, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away. There was a very light breeze with just the slightest hint of a fall chill in the air. Mira didn’t think she’d ever been more content in her life.

After drinking in the magnificent atmosphere for a few moments, she realized Chris wasn’t next to her. She turned to find him standing a good fifteen feet behind her. “Don’t you want to see the lights, babe?” she asked.

“I can see the lights just fine from back here,” he replied.

She gasped and covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Chris. I wasn’t even thinking. Are you OK up here? Do you want to go back down?”

He chuckled. “No, I’m fine back here. But I won’t be joining you at the railing.”

“Well then, I’ll be joining you back there,” she said, smiling as she strolled over to where he stood. Wrapping her arms around his hips and pulling him close, she asked, “Why’d you bring me up here if it freaks you out? You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know. I wanted to. I knew you’d like it, and I thought it would be really romantic.”

“Oh, that it definitely is. This is the most romantic place I think I’ve ever been. And it’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for me. Thank you so much.” She leaned in and planted a long, lingering kiss on his lips.

When she released him, he was grinning at her. “I bet I can top it.”

“What?”

“This being the most romantic thing I’ve ever done.”

“I don’t know, buddy, that’s going to be a pretty tall order.”

“Are you calling me short?”

“You are short,” she replied, giggling. “But, no, that’s not what I was saying.”

“All right, then. Back to this romance stuff. You don’t think I can top it?”

“Well, I…”

“Double dog dare me?”

“I learned a long time ago not to do that, Christopher.”

He chuckled, but suddenly got quieter. “So do I get the chance to try?”

“Sure,” she smiled. “Let’s see what you got.”

He took a step back from her, and she watched curiously. She was expecting a song or a poem or something of that nature. The last thing on Earth she was expecting was what he did next. “What I got,” he said softly, pulling a box from his interior pocket, “Is one of these.”

Her curiosity turned to shock as he slowly opened the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring. Her wide eyes traveled from his face to the ring and back again. He was staring at her with that same intense expression he had worn at the restaurant. Her heart and lungs seemed to have ceased functioning, and she couldn’t feel her body at all. Struggling to find words, she gasped, “Is that…? Do you mean…?”

He smiled calmly at her. “It is. And I do. Mira, will you marry me?”

She was almost paralyzed by her shock. They never discussed marriage, ever. He had told her very early on in their relationship that marriage wasn’t for him, and she had respected that. Still having trouble with her tongue, she stammered, “But… I thought marriage… I thought this wasn’t what you wanted.”

He looked her straight in the eye and replied, “That’s what I thought, too. But then I met you, and for the first time in my life, I understand why people get married.”

“Oh, Chris…” Her lips were trembling and she could feel the tears welling in her eyes.

He studied her for a second, chewing on his bottom lip. Finally, he said anxiously, “Mira, I… I can’t read that expression. Is that a yes or a no?”

“Oh my God, Chris!” she breathed. “I’m sorry – in my head I answered you. Yes! Yes, yes, yes! How could you ever think I’d say no?”

“Well, mainly because I didn’t hear you saying yes.”

Her laughter rang out in the cool night air, and she finally recovered all of her senses. Laughing and crying all at once, she tugged him closer to her again. Their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss that seemed to hold a new kind of promise. When they finally separated, he asked, “So did I top it?”

“Good God, yes. I can’t imagine what you would have done if I’d double-dog-dared you.”

He laughed. “Neither can I.” He kissed her again quickly, then said, “I think we should take this really expensive piece of glass out of its box. What do you think?”

“Ooh, by all means,” she replied, giggling.

He took the ring out of its box and slid it onto her finger, whispering, “I love you, Mira.” She blinked away more tears as she took her first good look at the ring. It was remarkable, a square-cut diamond in a platinum setting, with several smaller stones around it. It wasn’t gaudy in the slightest, just stunningly beautiful.

“Chris, it’s so perfect. Thank you. I love you, too.” She threw her arms around his neck and held on tight for a few moments. Eventually, he loosened himself from her grip.

“We should get going. The others are expecting us soon.”

She kissed him again, saying, “But I don’t want to go to the club now. I have other ideas.” She ran her fingers suggestively along his waistband and smirked at him.

“That sounds good to me. But we need to make an appearance at the club first or they’ll worry about us.”

“They’re all in on this, aren’t they?”

Chris averted his eyes. “Um… well…”

Laughing, she said, “It’s OK. I wouldn’t really expect you to make a decision like this without consulting them first.”

He bit his lip. “So you’re not mad?”

“How could I be mad? I mean, I’m going to kick their asses later. But first I’m going to let you make it up to me tonight.”

He beamed at her. “I think I can handle that,” he replied, kissing her hard. They climbed back in the elevator and began their descent.

“So how are you going to top that one?” she teased.

Eyes wide, he asked, “What more do you want from me, woman?” She burst into laughter and kissed him yet again.

In no time, they were at the club. Mike had been on the lookout for them, and he met them at the door and led them through the crowded club to the VIP room. As soon as they walked in, she heard Justin yell, “Yo, they’re here.” Within seconds, all of their friends had gathered. Chris being Chris, he was holding Mira’s left hand behind his back, and he just stared at them.

“What? What’re y’all staring at?”

Mira watched as all of their faces fell, and no one spoke. She couldn’t stand it. “Chris, stop, you’re torturing them.” She saw recognition dawn on Justin’s face first, as he realized Chris was messing with them.

“You did it, didn’t you? I can’t believe you actually did it!”

“Did what?” Chris asked innocently.

Mira rolled her eyes and disentangled her hand from his. Holding it out for everyone to see, she said quietly, “We’re getting married.” And suddenly they were engulfed in a wave of humanity, as hugs and congratulations were exchanged all around. She felt so happy she thought for sure she’d burst.

Someone ordered a bottle of champagne, and they raised their glasses in a toast.

“To Chris and Mira,” Joey said, “May they have a long and happy marriage.”

“To Chris and Mira,” JC added, “May they always be as much in love as they are right now.”

Bobbie was next in the circle, and everyone turned to her. “Don’t look at me,” she laughed. “This is a guy thing.”

“To Mira and Chris,” said Lance, “May the sex remain as good as it is right now.” This earned him a slug in the arm from Mira and hoots of laughter all around.

“To Chris and Mira,” Justin said, “May they… May they… Man, why’d I have to go last? I don’t know what to say. I can’t _believe_ you’re going to be the first one married!”

After more general laughter, Chris said, “Thank you to all of my brothers for keeping my secret so long and not spoiling the surprise for Mira.”

“Yeah, I’ll deal with all of you later,” Mira warned, as the guys pretended to back away from her. Smiling broadly, she continued, “But tonight I want to say thank you for accepting me into your family and for being such great friends. Cheers!”

They all tipped their glasses and drank, then headed for the dance floor. After a few songs, Mira was ready to leave, but Chris said they had to wait until the DJ played his request. Mira relented, and when she heard the first few bars of the song, she was glad she had.

“How did you get him to play this?” she asked.

“I just told him it was the happiest night of my life. So far, anyway.” She smiled at him as he pulled her close and began swaying to the music. As the words began, he sang softly in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

_“If all my good fortune ended,  
If my whole world came tumbling down,  
If suddenly everything I’m sure of  
Came crashing to the ground  
If all my worst fears came true,  
If I lost every dream I ever knew...”_

His voice trailed off as he choked back his emotions. Fighting past her own tears, Mira picked up the next verse, ignoring her usual shyness about singing in front of him.

_“So I can take my chances  
I can swing from the trapeze  
I’m not afraid of falling  
I know that you’ll catch me...  
When I don’t believe in anything  
When I’m spinning in a hurricane  
When the world is full of strangers  
I’ve got you.”_

Chris recovered enough to sing the final chorus in perfect harmony with her.

_“You would be the faith that carries me  
You would show me the grace to make me see the truth  
Whatever storm I fly into  
All I really need to get me through  
Is you.”_

As the music faded away, Mira whispered in his ear, “You are all I want and all I need.”

“I hope you still feel that way in fifty years, ‘cause you’re stuck with me now,” he joked.

A giggle bubbled up from her throat. “You just couldn’t let the moment be, could you?”

“No way. That was getting out of control,” he said, joining in with her laughter. She just shook her head at him. Sobering again, he said softly, “I love you, Mira.”

“I love you, too, Chris, even if you are a dork.”

“Thank you very much for _that_ sentiment. You ready to get out of here?”

“Oh yeah,” she replied. “You still have some amends to make.”

“I somehow get the feeling that this is going to be my favorite apology ever,” Chris said, as he turned to go find the others.

“It better be,” Mira replied, pinching his ass for good measure. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist. Together, they headed back to the VIP room to say good night to their friends. Neither of them had ever felt so complete, so happy to be alive. And this was only the beginning of what was sure to be the most beautiful journey they’d ever embark upon, whatever storms they flew into.

**Author's Note:**

> The song is “You”, written by Troy Verges and Brett James, and performed by Meredith Edwards.


End file.
